


Went to School and No One Knew Me

by Merixcil



Series: Advent Fics 2019 [3]
Category: Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Christmas Jumpers, F/F, Gen, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2019-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:48:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26392174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merixcil/pseuds/Merixcil
Summary: Elphaba doesn't really want to go home for Christmas
Relationships: Elphaba Thropp & Galinda Upland
Series: Advent Fics 2019 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916806
Kudos: 1





	Went to School and No One Knew Me

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: [Mad World by Gary Jules](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N3N1MlvVc4)  
> 

Christmas, of course, has to be as magical and perfect as any other time of year. The rest of the students talk animatedly about home, and how they can’t wait to be back in the loving arms of their families once the semester is finished, and as ever, Elphaba is cast aside for these intensive talks of warmth and food that take place over lunch and in the common room late in the evening. Even the library, her usual sanctuary from the ever present glares of her classmates, has been infected with the spirit of Christmas, forcing her to spend ever more time alone in her room. 

The truth of the matter is, Elphaba had been considering asking the school administration if she could stay at Shizz for Christmas. The school sounds cold and dark outside of term time, and it’s not like she has much in the way of good memories here to pad out the long winter nights, but it would be fun, she thinks, to at least spare herself the judgemental eye of her father for one Christmas. When she proposed the idea to Nessa, however, her sister had flounced off in a huff, like it was a personal insult that Elphaba might want to do Christmas at any great distance from herself. 

The last two weeks before everyone’s supposed to go home are turning into a whirlwind of parties thrown by teachers and students alike. Galinda in particular, never seems to be in the dorm, coming by only to catch a few hours sleep before rising at the crack of dawn to make sure that her hair is perfectly coiffed over her tastefully chosen Christmas jumper of the day. Which is why it’s such a surprise to see her coming through the door just after dinner, ten days away from the big day. The bags she’s carrying, weighed down with personal products and gifts for other people, are dropped unceremoniously on the floor and Galinda falls face first onto her bed with an exasperated shriek. 

Elphaba is strong enough not to ask her what’s wrong, at least not at first. She raises an eyebrow and tries to keep her attention buried in the book she’s reading on the history of animal magic, taking notes of spells that she suspects, in all her green-itude, she might be able to perform herself, despite being not quite the right species. It’s almost impossible to ignore Galinda when she’s having a tantrum though, and her eyes keep sliding off the page to the girl on the bed the other side of the room. 

She could ask what’s wrong, Elphaba supposed. But then that would mean pretending that she cares. Her father always told her it was gauche to focus on interpersonal gossip, but there’s just so much of it to go round at this school. 

“Can you believe how everyone’s treating Christmas?” Galinda snaps, before Elphaba can make a decision about whether or not to engage. 

Elphaba frowns, caught off guard by the question. As far as she can see, everyone is in total delight over the upcoming holidays. Unless Galinda secretly hates the season and has been suffering in silence all this time, only to have it all come to a head in one dramatic outburst for Elphaba’s sole viewing.

This is a matter that must be handled with delicacy. Elphaba sits up straight, setting her book aside. “I-”

“I’ve been going to all this trouble!” Galinda continues. “Throwing parties, helping other people with their parties, decorating the school, buying gifts, making sure that I always look delightfully festive. And what thanks do I get? A bunch of ungrateful people whining about how they can’t wait to go home for Christmas. All this effort isn’t supposed to be a bandaid that they can pull off as soon as term ends! It’s supposed to be fun in and of itself, while we’re here.”

“Oh.” Elphaba finishes, her train of thought completely lost in Galinda’s outburst. “I’m sorry.”

“Do people think this is easy? Do you think it’s easy, Elphaba?”

Elphaba glances to the mountainous bags collapsed by the door and shakes her head. “Not at all.”

“Thank you!” Galinda flops back onto the bed, this time onto her back so she’d staring at the ceiling. Her Christmas jumper has come askew and her hair is ever so slightly mussed at the front. It’s a good look on her, the real girl beneath all that pomp and poise. “Honestly, Elphaba, you’re about the only person at Shizz that I can stand right now. You might not be celebrating, but at least you’re not talking about home all the time.”

A backhanded compliment at best, but it’s the first time anyone at Shizz has bothered to tell Elphaba that they might actually like her. The fact that it’s coming from Galinda of all people is nothing short of a shock. 

“Do you want a Christmas jumper?” Galinda pipes up, her grumpiness sloughing off her like the skin she exfoliates every morning. “I went way overboard, I have loads left over.”

Elphaba takes a long look at the pink and blue monstrosity Galinda is currently wearing, highlighted with silly little baubles and glitter. She can’t imagine anything she would like less. “I don’t think any clothes cut for you would fit me.”

“You’re probably right.” Galinda agrees. “It would be super easy for you though, you’d just need to put on something red and your skin would do the rest. I’ve been trying to find one in black though, figured you might actually wear it, but no one makes black Christmas jumpers.”

In all her life, people have only ever bought Elphaba black clothes because they couldn’t be bothered to think about what she would want. The idea of Galinda patiently hunting for something black because she thought Elphaba might actually like it is so bizarrely thoughtful that it might actually be touching. 

“It’s okay.” Elphaba tells her. “You don’t have to bother.”

“I know I don’t.” Galinda beams. “That’s what makes it so wonderful that I do.”

**Author's Note:**

> This work was originally posted as part of a multi chaptered 'advent fics' fic that I'm trying to split up. If you think you've read it before, you probably have


End file.
